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Flexible Dieting and Sustainability with David Mathas

Robert Sikes

• October 15th, 2021

Do you practice flexible dieting or if it fits your macros? David Mathas discusses his approach and opinions on each and how he focuses on quality foods rather than binging on Pop-Tarts and pizza on a regular basis.

David holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning from the University of South Florida. While at USF, he was part of the research team led by Dr. Bill Campbell, where the main focus was studying physique competitors and improving nutritional and training strategies for optimizing physique enhancement. He has been part of groundbreaking research on re-feeds, diet breaks, and flexible dieting studies. He is also an Army Combat Medic Veteran and has held multiple personal training certifications since 2008.

David provides macro and training coaching for men, women, and children, bodybuilders, power-lifters, and anyone looking to optimize their general health. (https://coachdavidmathas.com/)

What we discussed in this episode:

Nutrition is a complex issue and there’s more information out there than can fit on a social media post or meme (3:33)
What got David interested in nutrition in the first place and his approach to dieting and fitness (4:14)
The importance of keeping an open mind and allowing for some flexibility in your diet (7:00)
Where foods such as pizza and burgers fit when you’re focused on quality fuel for your body and sustainability (9:39)
David’s opinion on the proper human diet from a biological standpoint (13:43)
The importance of taking into account the psychological effects of nutrition when starting a new diet or plan (16:39)
The negative relationship people sometimes have with carbohydrates and what that may stem from (17:56)
Being educated about our nutrition and knowing what works best for our individual needs (21:02)
The divisiveness surrounding nutrition in mainstream society (25:00)
The clientele David works with and the reasons why (30:26)
Frustrations surrounding the ketogenic diet and how a lot of people will jump on the bandwagon because they view it as a quick way to drop weight (33:37)
Flexible dieting and how some people attempt it because they view it as a way to eat whatever they want as long as it fits their macros (35:15)
The importance of reverse dieting and giving your body a bit of a break every now and then (37:57)
Understanding the difference between water weight and fat gain (40:27)
Robert’s nutrition background and what made him switch to a ketogenic lifestyle (42:41)
The competition cancellations of 2020 and how that affected Robert and many clients (45:08)
The influx in clients wanting to focus on their health after the shutdown of 2020 (46:17)
Playing the long game in business and nutrition and understanding that there are no quick fixes (47:59)
What got David into bow hunting and his experiences with that (50:28)
The discipline and skill involved in bow hunting (56:40)
How sitting down and having an actual conversation rather than arguing our differences over the internet would make such a difference in society (58:39)